After that beautiful sharing from Smiju let me share one of my experience.
A couple of years back I was getting ready for my annual leave. Those days I
had one of my brother's friend who helped for purchasing etc. I wanted to
purchase few bottles of liquor for home use and for few of my relatives who
would not have otherwise liked any thing else I bought for them. They had
insisted me to bring only this and I did not want to disappoint them as
well. But this friend advised me not to buy even a single bottle. His voice
was so strong. But I could not agree with him. My point was that I did not
have the intention of making them drink too much or spoiling them etc. All I
wanted was to see them enjoying. But what he was trying to explain to me was
something different. He said he knew my intention was to make them all
happy. But he asked me to forget about that happiness I might have had,
because, he had by that time had so much of trouble in his life because he
was not able to control himself from this evil. He too had started like the
so-called "for fun sake" or "company sake". But there came a point in life
when unexpected problems came he went out of him control and his drinking
which he thought was under control went out of his control. He had so much
to share. He said that, with the grace of God through some retreats, he had
managed to stop drinking absolutely.
Finally he said I should decide that neither I drink even a sip of it or
should encourage anyone by giving them even a single bottle. I did not buy
liquor that year according to what he said and as I expected some were
disappointed. But I knew what this old friend was saying was from his life
experience and there was much truth in it. By that time I had also decided
to avoid taking it which I used to take, for some occasions.
As many of us have already shared let us also avoid those circumstances
which may lead us into sin.
Prayerful Regards,
Sijo Mooken
Abu Dhabi
- Original Message -
From: "Smiju Joseph" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Jesus Youth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 12:39 PM
Subject: [JOYnet] Drinking - From my life
> God bless you all.
>
> Dear friends,
>
> There were five girls in a family and no brothers.
> They were very poor. When rain comes, the rooms are
> filled with water. The room floor was furnished not
> with cement... it was with cow don. Their father was a
> tailor, an ex-military, very loving. People call him
> 'Ashaan' and as most of the ex-service man he was also
> an addict to alcohol. Their mother sometimes makes
> brooms and 'shades' from coconut leaves and earns
> money. She was a strong follower of Jesus and lead her
> five girls in that way. Some times they walked from
> 'Mamangalam' to 'High Court' to attend Holy Mass. Most
> of the days their father drunk too much before closing
> shop and coming home, sometimes somebody helped him to
> come. They wait for him to get money to buy rice to
> make 'kanji', (forget about 'curry' they didn't even
> dreamed about it) but most of the days they don't get
> money from him and slept with empty stomach, if they
> got also it was not enough to feed all the five. So
> the eldest girl and her mother had no food for days.
> He spoiled whole money by drinking brandy and last he
> sold his shop. But with God's grace now they all are
> married. The eldest one is Rosey Varghese and now she
> is Mrs. Rosey Antony.
>
> Her son started drinking when he was teen.
> Unfortunately he got the first 'cheers' from christian
> life community members (C.L.C.). He never wend home
> after drinking. So she never recognised it.
>
> One day night her son drank 'Vodka' and came home.
> With previous experiences she quickly found that her
> son drank. Next day morning she told her above story
> with tears. I said "Ammachi... I will never do this
> again". A small hug and a kiss changed my life. (It is
> long story. I made it short).
>
> How can I say drinking alcohol is good even if it is
> only moderate? I have more to share about this from my
> life... about my friend who is killed. About my uncle
> whose liver is like a mosquito net and more... But I
> am not interested to write, this all will put me in
> tears. God bless you all.
>
> With lots of lov & prayers
> Smiju joseph, abu dhabi
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